STEVEN PRESSLEY

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Pressley, a passionate and eloquent coach, must feature high on Levein’s list. He knows the club with intimate knowledge having spent eight years in Gorgie. As well as being captain, he even had a spell as joint caretaker manager in 2005 after John Robertson had left the club.

Winner of the Scottish Cup in 2006, Pressley is second only to Bobby Parker for holding the captaincy the longest.

Despite the success of his time at Tynecastle, he’ll perhaps be most remembered as one of the Riccarton Three, the trio that included Paul Hartley and Craig Gordon, who railed against the preposterous regime of Vladimir Romanov.

Respected as a coach, Pressley is currently out of work after leaving Fletwood one year ago.

PAUL HARTLEY

Another former Hearts star, another one-time member of the Riccarton Three. And, like Pressley, Hartley is also out of work. What’s not to love? Hartley was sacked by Dundee – many claiming unfairly – after three years in charge at Dens.

After a successful period cutting his teeth in management at Alloa, Hartley was appointed Dundee boss in 2014. He got them promotion, then took Dundee to a top-six finish the following season. A run of seven defeats last season cost him his job, however. His hand was hardly helped by the sale of his top two goalscorers in Greg Stewart and Kane Hemmings.

Could he work with Levein, though? They have a good relationship and despite Hartley not necessarily fitting the profile of the Gorgie project – he’s 40 years of age and already has top-flight managerial experience – he will be in the mind of the DOF.

AUSTIN MACPHEE

(Image: SNS Group)

Could MacPhee land the job? Rule nothing out, although following one failed experiment with another gamble may be too much of a risk for Levein. Still, the Northern Ireland coach is highly rated, the players like when he takes the coaching as perhaps evidenced by what seemed to be a pointed comment from Christophe Berra on Monday. He said: "Everything we do with Austin MacPhee and Graham Fox is well run."

The Kirkcaldy-born coach, 37, has no experience of top-level management or indeed playing the game as a professional. For all his qualities on the training pitch, Levein is unlikely to turn to MacPhee as Hearts’ next manager.

That day may well come, though.

TOMMY WRIGHT

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright (Image: SNS Group)

Scottish Cup glory, consistent top-six finishes, wins at Celtic Park and Ibrox – even these successes have not been enough to land Wright a top manager’s job. It looked as though his time had come when Derek McInnes was on the verge of leaving Aberdeen – only for the former midfielder to snub Sunderland and remain in Scotland’s North-East.

Wright – with all the experience, nous and man-management skills for which you could ask – is still at St Johnstone, proving the doubters wrong every day. That’s if there are any left.

At 51, the Northern Irishman might not fit Levein’s profile but he’d be mad to dismiss the prospect of Wright gaining back Hearts credibility on the pitch.

CRAIG LEVEIN

(Image: SNS Group)

Could Craig Levein really appoint Craig Levein in the most referring-to-yourself-in-the-third-person-manner possible? He is a top manager, of that there is no question. Yes he endured a miserable time as Scotland manager but in club football he was a success, both at Dundee United and Hearts.

But he is surely enjoying his time in an elevated position, using his contacts and experience to help and advise whoever is in the head coach role.